The 2019 National Work Zone Awareness Week was conducted April 8-12. This year’s theme was “Drive Like You Work Here“. Although the awareness event is over it is never too late to spread safety-related information regarding hazards to both workers and drivers in work zones.

Two links available with Work Zone safety information are:

• National Work Zone Awareness Week
• Workzonesafety.org

Drivers who’ve experienced traffic delays in work zones can help themselves be safer and reduce traffic by practicing “Zipper Merging.”

What is a zipper merge?
When a lane is closed in a construction zone, a zipper merge occurs when motorists use both lanes of traffic until reaching the defined merge area, and then alternate in “zipper” fashion into the open lane.

Zipper merge vs. early merge
When most drivers see the first “lane closed ahead” sign in a work zone, they slow too quickly and move to the lane that will continue through the construction area. This driving behavior can lead to unexpected and dangerous lane switching, serious crashes and road rage.

Zipper merging, however, benefits individual drivers as well as the public at large. Research shows that these dangers decrease when motorists use both lanes until reaching the defined merge area and then alternate in “zipper” fashion into the open lane. Benefits

Benefits

• Reduces differences in speeds between two lanes
• Reduces the overall length of traffic backup by as much as 40 percent
• Reduces congestion on freeway interchanges
• Creates a sense of fairness and equity that all lanes are moving at the same rate

So I’m supposed to merge late?

Yes! As you see the “lane closed ahead” sign and traffic backing up, stay in your current lane up to the point of merge. Then take turns with other drivers to safely and smoothly ease into the remaining lane. Don’t worry about being “Minnesota nice.” When traffic is heavy and slow, it is much safer for motorists to remain in their current lane until the point where traffic can orderly take turns merging.

When not to do the zipper merge

When traffic is moving at highway speeds and there are no backups, it makes sense to move sooner to the lane that will remain open through construction. The bottom line is to merge when it is safe to do so.

sources:
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/zippermerge/
https://www.workzonesafety.org/meetings-and-events/wz-awareness-week/

Follow-up information from the April meeting….
Team SAFER (Information from Justin Griffith),

As a follow up to Wednesday’s meeting, I have provided the following hyperlinks/attachments for your use:

– Drone memorandum – OSHA’s use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Inspections. Drone Memo – OSHA

– Toolbox talks, infographics, FACE reports, and other Fall Protection Stand-Down resources from CPWR-OSHA-NIOSH can be found on the
https://stopconstructionfalls.com/one-stop-stand-down-shop/ page.

– To order Hardhat Stickers and Hazard Alert cards, visit https://stopconstructionfalls.com/online-ordering-form/ page.

– For additional OSHA resources, including the Events page with information on contacting your Regional Stand-Down coordinator and the certificates page for after the Stand-Down, visit https://www.osha.gov/StopFallsStandDown/ page.

– For NIOSH videos and other campaign materials, visit https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/construction/stopfalls.html page.

– City of Providence Fire Department SAFE STATION – as discussed, a 24/7 addiction treatment service and support resource that is available to anyone regardless of residency, visit http://pvdsafestations.com/ .

– Dimeo Construction Company (Dimeo) will be hosting Erin McDonough on Thursday April 18th at 02:30 PM to train on overdose prevention, recognition, and response that can be geared toward targeted audiences including law enforcement and public safety professionals, primary care providers, behavioral healthcare providers, corrections, schools, and the general public. Ms. McDonough is the program director for the Naloxone and Overdose Prevention Education Program of Rhode Island (NOPE-RI). For additional information on NOPE-RI, visit https://www.rimrc.org/nope-ri. If interested in attending or additional information, please contact Bob Kunz at bkunz@dimeo.com. Dimeo’s Training Center located at 780 Allens Avenue in Providence.

Original Meeting Announcement:

Subject: SAFER Meeting
When: Wednesday, April 3, 2019 8:00 AM-10:00 AM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
Where: New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) – 2490 Post Road, Warwick, RI Hall of Fame Room 2nd floor

Team SAFER,

This month we are going to take you up, up and away….. then below grade…..

The subjects are

• Chester Humbert of Manafort-Precision will discuss the Use of Unmanned Aircraft System (“UAS” or “drones”) during OSHA inspection
• Justin Griffith of Dimeo Construction will discuss Excavation and Trenching, including the OSHA NEP, Dig Safe
• The group will discuss this month’s OSHA Challenge

Drones

Refer to OSHA UAS Memo May 18, 2018

Excavation and Trenching

“The fatality rate for excavation work is 112 percent higher than the rate for general construction, OSHA data shows. The agency lists “employee injury from collapse” as the primary hazard of excavation work and includes “no protective system” among the leading causes of worker injuries.  According to OSHA, 23 workers were killed in trench collapses in 2016, surpassing the combined total from 2014 and 2015. No matter the nature of the work or depth of the trench, excavations are unstable, experts note.” [credit: https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17490-trenching-and-excavation-safety ]

OSHA has developed the following resource page:  https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/trenchingexcavation/solutions.html , which includes the updated National Emphasis Program CPL-02-00-161 .

The coffee and calories are sponsored by Sinclair Risk & Financial Mgt.

Please accept the emailed meeting announcement to RSVP.

The March meeting will be held at New England Institute for Technology 2490 Post Road, Warwick, RI on March 6, 2019 from 8-10 AM.

From Bob: Team SAFER,

Another month closer to Spring…..this month we will be learning about all things designed to protect your eyes, face and head. There will be some forward leaning equipment discussed.

In 2005, the BLS reported that eye injuries/illnesses resulting in days away from work accounted for 4.1% of the total non-fatal construction injuries/illnesses for that year. Since 2007, 1.4% of the injuries / illnesses resulting on days away from work on Dimeo construction projects have involved eyes. This appears to support our 2003 decision to require 100% eye protection on our construction projects. What is the history and policy of your company?

On 2/25/19, a subcontracted craft worker was struck on the side of his protected head by a metal brace that became detached from a wall panel during high winds. The worker was wearing a MSA hard hat. He reported a short period of “blacked out” and that his hard hat fell off during the incident. He was evaluated at an urgent care center and was diagnosed with a head contusion. Does your company have a 100% hard hat utilization policy? If the worker was wearing a Kask helmet would the severity of injury been less?

We would like to hear from you on this interesting topic – what have you done to mitigate eye, face and head injuries?

Here is the meeting line-up:

Eye and Face Protection
Protective Industrial Products
Carlos Mello

Head Protection
Kask
Jack Padden of Sales Solutions

The coffee and calories for this month’s meeting are provided courtesy of United Alliance Services Corp

From Bob Kunz:

Team SAFER,

The next SAFER meeting is February 6, 2019, from 8-10 am, at New England Institute of Technology (NEIT.)

We hope that you can join us for this month’s discussion, which will include the following:

• Fall from roof events that have occurred in the region over past 90 days – what can be done to prevent these events?
• OSHA Frequency Asked Questions (FAQs) – what is new?
  • Silica
  • Crane Operator Qualification
• Motor vehicle safety – how are you promoting fleet safety performance excellence?  This discussion will include, without limitation : https://www.dutchreach.org/ .
• The RI State Police
  • Professional Safety Awareness Series Presentation
  • Corporal Wesley H. Pugh-Pennington

Coffee and Calories are courtesy of Concentra.

From Bob K.

Team,

The meeting planned for January 2, 2019 has been rescheduled to January 9, 2019.  The first week of the new year will be hectic enough. 

It will be held in the Hall of Fame Room (2nd Floor) at the New England Institute of Technology 2490 Post Road, Warwick, RI.

The meeting sponsor will be JL Marshall & Sons. 

Wishing you a healthy and wonderful holiday and look forward to kicking off the new year with you on 1/9/19.

Trench Safety Stand Down

Sponsored by NUCA and NAXSA

The 2018 Trench Safety Stand Down will be held between June 18-23

The 2018 Trench Safety Stand Down is officially endorsed by OSHA and NUCA’s Trench Safety Stand Down is also sponsored by the Safety Ambassadors Club.

How to Conduct a Safety Stand Down:

Companies will conduct a Trench Safety Stand Down by taking a break to have a toolbox talk or another safety activity to draw attention to the specific hazards related to working in and around trenches/excavations. We ask that companies provide feedback about their Stand Down,  such as when it was held, how many workers participated, how you shared information with employees. NUCA will collect the information, publicize the overall total number of participants, and publish the names of the companies that held a Trench Safety Stand Down. You can find all the appropriate documentation below in TSSD Forms.

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